A human hip joint connects a femur (sometimes referred to as a thigh bone) to an acetabulum (sometimes referred to as a hip socket) of the pelvis. Hip joints support the weight of a human body, and are important for maintaining balance.
Some types of injury, disease, or degeneration can produce pain, restricted motion in the hip joint, or both. One treatment for certain types of damage to a hip joint is surgery. In some cases, the hip joint is surgically replaced.